Group D, The Entrance Ward

Lead Candidate Corinne Lamont

1/ financial experience

I am a seasoned financial services professional:

– In my 20s, I studied accounting and was promoted to bank manager at a flagship Martin Place branch, one of the youngest City manager appointments, managing 60 staff overseeing branch operations with daily transactions far more than Council’s.

– In my 30s, I became a certified financial planner and Central Coast mortgage broker.

– Over the past 15 years, I have been Chief Financial Officer at the education technology export business my husband and I own and operate from the Central Coast.

– I routinely analyse and act on business plans, macroeconomic indicators, including production, employment, currency and interest rate, profit and loss and balance sheet data.

2/ work experience

1980 – 90s State Bank branch manager, Martin Place, commuting from Wyong; then certified financial planner, raising a family

2000s Central Coast mortgage broker, based in Killcare

2010s – present CFO and owner at Central Coast based education technology business

3/ community activism or involvement

As a volunteer lead organiser for Wamberal Beach Save Our Sand (SOS) community group, I have led the campaign to prevent the construction of a vertical seawall at Wamberal Beach, one of the most significant open surf beaches on the Central Coast. 

In my volunteer role, I have over recent years communicated extensively with Council’s Administrator, CEO, current and former Directors of Environment Planning, and other relevant staff. In addition, I have TV and radio media, state and federal MPs, Ministers and environmental engineers and academics who respect me for my fairness and grasp of complex coastal planning issues.

Importantly, I have effectively led a team of local volunteers, unifying the local community, backed by expert input.

Earlier this year, I  was invited to provided expert testimony to the NSW Parliament Legislative Council committee on “The Planning System and the impacts of climate change on the environment and communities.” This invitation came on the back of my detailed submission to NSW Parliament and the petition I successfully raised in 2023.

By collaborating with renowned coastal engineers and geomorphologist and applying my significant research, grassroots campaigning and communication skills, I have strengthened the Save our Sand campaign to improve the likelihood of the demise of the seawall and to improve the outlook for Wamberal Beach, a significant asset for public amenity and tourism.

Over the past year, I have also become increasingly involved as a volunteer supporter of the Tuggerah Lakes Care (TLC) community group. TLC has a mission to mitigate Lake flooding through the implementation of a dredge at The Entrance channel, as recommended by top coastal engineer, Angus Gordon OAM and supported by local former Catchment to Coast community representatives. I have assisted TLC in their messaging and the growing “Bring back Reg the Dredge” campaign that resonates with The Entrance residents around the lake.

4/ What current public causes/issues do you agree with?

My support of local causes and issues is well known, including:

– Wamberal SOS effort

– Tuggerah Lakes Care – to bring back a dredge to reduce Tuggerah Lake flooding

– Central Coast Innovation District – Professional services, education and health hub

– Regional small business development, including ag tech, manufacturing, construction

– Regional employment and skills development

– Fast rail (Sydney-Central Coast)

– Regional tourism and festival promotion, Night Time economy development, the arts

– Sustainable housing, passive community planning based on passive transport modes

– Central Coast Bicycle Users Group – promoting cycling for transport and recreation

– Urban renewal of The Entrance, Wyong, Woy Woy and Gosford

– Youth recreation services

– Neighbourhood watch

– Vision Australia on behalf of Gosford Bowling Club. They provided an inspiring speech at a recent Council meeting which has encouraged my support.

– Save Gosford Library

– Coast Environment Alliance, particularly Kariong land preservation

– Keep Nets Out, Clean Up Australia Day, Weed management

– Efforts to ‘Grow Urban Shade Trees’ – reducing heat island effect on the Peninsula

– CEN – To stop the wholesale rezoning of C2 land.

5/ Why should I vote for you?

Skills and experience

I bring important financial management and community advocacy skills that are needed on Council. My lived experience as a business owner, employer, beach and lake campaigner provides me the perfect background as a representative of The Entrance ward – a ward that is particularly punctuated by beaches and the grand lake. I know that to improve road, sewer and other services, Council needs to successfully apply for and secure grants and make wise decisions in other budget areas. I know that things do not just happen.

Qualities and independence

I am is truly independent, having no Council baggage and no links to real estate or developer interests. In my advocacy on local issues, I have been particularly critical of recent Council behaviours with respect to the management of probity and conflicts of interest. As a Councillor, I will insist on high standards in these important areas of governance, in the public interest. Importantly, I will seek to work constructively with all Councillors regardless of their political affiliations.

Advocacy

I am aware of the need for Council to engage NSW Government on a range of issues conserving the Coast. I will do all possible to support Council management in effective advocacy with state and federal MPs and Ministers, particularly in Planning, Minerals, Environment, Regional development, Education and Export/Trade.

Q1/ What’s important to you in the Operational plan’s vision and framework?

Without meaning to be difficult, it would be a disservice to provide you with “top three” points from the Community Strategic Plan Vision and Framework because of the interconnectedness of the various points in their shared goal of creating a thriving, sustainable, and inclusive community. Asking for the ‘top 3’ question is a bit like asking which three organs of the body are most important. Nearly all organs are important. What is more important is how we monitor, care for, resource and nourish each organ, or in this case points, over the planning period for immediate, medium-and long-term benefit.

Each of the 48 points in the framework contributes to a holistic vision that encompasses social, environmental, economic, and cultural dimensions.

Governance, as a foundational element, plays a critical role in ensuring that these goals are achieved in a transparent, accountable, sustainable and equitable manner.

For instance, the interconnectedness of these 48 points is highlighted by the need for sustainable development practices, which underpin many of the goals, such as protecting natural areas (E1), reducing waste (E3), and promoting greening (F2). The satisfaction of one point will lead to the satisfaction of others, creating a positive feedback loop that benefits all members of the community. I, therefore, offer a more material and actionable set of responses to the Operational Plan, that seeming to be the objective of the question put.

Areas of strong support:

I strongly supports proposed big ticket infrastructure items in the Plan, noting most items are to be funded through grants and developer contributions, and noting details on major cost items are not included in the plan but are accepted in good faith:

a. General road improvements as set out in the plan

b. Embankment and road repairs specific to Wiseman’s Ferry Rd

c. Various sewer and sewerage treatment upgrades

d. Gosford innovation hub

Issues with the Plan

The Plan is presented more as a Public Relations document, pitched at such a high level that some Operational Plan decisions pass through even though they are odds with the stated strategic intent, for example:

1. The Plan proposes $2M (over FY25/6) to support the construction of a highly unpopular hard seawall along 5% of the Central Coast’s surfing beaches, that is, 1.4km Wamberal Beach. This is at odds with A1, A2, A3, A4, B2, B3, B4 and all of C, E, F, G and I3, however, that misalignment is not called out in the Plan.

2. The Plan commits to Implement the Airport Master Plan, but that Master Plan includes no business case, no detailed financials regarding the distribution of costs and benefits, private versus public, and the Master Plan fails to justify or set out the pros and cons of Council even owning and managing an airport. I am not anti-airport, but the material publicly available fails to meet basic requirements for informed Councillor oversight and decision-making.

3. The Plan lacks action on Tuggerah Lakes food management. Across the entire 176-page Plan, there is not a single sentence regarding the problem of flooding around Tuggerah Lakes. There is no expenditure set out for the problem. This is a major failing noting community concerns about the issue and the cost impact of inaction to residents and Council. Expert studies reports have already been conducted and produced with recommendations already being tabled, specifically to the implementation of a dredge to ensure an uninterrupted water channel between Pelican Island and the sea. I will be working with stakeholders to get more immediate action on this item, noting the huge savings to be realised through action on flood mitigation.

Q2/ Which upcoming plans already in the pipeline do you support?

My final decision to support or oppose any items on the list will depend on the Council’s financial forecasts and the outcomes of community engagement. So, at this stage I am unable to pick three items to ‘endorse’ or ‘delete’. That said, I make the following comments:

I will call for a review of Coastal Management Program for Coastal Lagoons and Coastal Management Program for Open Coast, even though they were carried in Q1, I note significant coastal management issues, including Wamberal Beach and will question why the CMP is taking longer to complete.

General support

Prima facie, I generally support the following initiatives subject to specific conditions:

1. Coastal Management Program for Tuggerah Lakes, so long as the Plan delivers immediate action to dredge and maintain The Entrance channel to mitigate flooding, as has already been recommended by Angus Gordon OAM who was commissioned to study the issue.

2. Chapter 3.2 Central Coast DCP Coastal Hazard, noting my endorsement will be subject to a detailed review of the parameters and substance of community engagement.

3. Youth strategy, Central Coast Employment Land Strategy, Community Strategic Plan.

I would like to see an elevation of support in the Youth Strategy as more young families move into the region, also noting the needs reported by constituents in areas such as The Entrance, Gosford, Tuggerah and Wyong. CCELS is very important and can leverage plans around Gosford Innovation hub and affordable housing plans.

Less support, questionable

1. There are no initiatives that I would, prima facie, want to ‘delete’, per se.

I welcome the opportunity to reviewing each plan, being consulted as they are formed. Detail will be important.

2. I have reservations about the Gosford Town Centre – Kibble Park Upgrade Stage 1 project, as it includes plans to demolish the existing Gosford Library.  I believe the library should be repurposed rather than demolished, given its value to the community.

Q3/ Do you support keeping the 2021 ten-year special rate variation (rate increase) beyond 2031?

No

Q4/ How would you increase revenue

I took particular interest in the recent NSW Parliament Legislative Council Inquiry into the “Ability of local governments to fund infrastructure and services” and read many of the submissions and transcripts including Central Coast Council CEO David Farmer’s submission to the Inquiry describing the challenges Council faced in ensuring adequate funding for infrastructure and services. Cost shifting will be an ongoing issue and will require innovative approaches to revenue and improved efficiencies. I believe there are many ways to increase revenue without increasing rates. I asked this question at the first candidate session at Ourimbah RSL, so it is something that I have given a lot of thought to for some time:

1. The first step to increasing revenue should be a comprehensive existing fee review to look at the efficiency and effectiveness of Council services, progressivity and capacity to pay. This should identify fee redundancies, assess fee alignment with service delivery, and determine if services are adequately charged. This review should also explore the feasibility of discontinuing certain services, outsourcing to more efficient providers, or introducing new revenue-generating services.

2. Collaboration with neighbouring Councils can provide valuable insights into similar services or different services that could be introduced, eliminated or outsourced, and any possible grant funding that hasn’t been tapped into.

Benchmarking against other Councils can identify opportunities for improvement and innovation. Comparison of Council’s annual “Fees and Charges Schedule” to other Councils’ Schedules could provide some useful insights.

3. Identification of grants and grant income should be carried out for any new projects.

4. The Council’s annual “Fees and Charges Schedule” is a valuable resource for this review. In summary, I would increase revenue by:

• Identifying and maximising use of available grant funding for any new projects. New projects to be grant based.

• Ensuring developer contributions for private developments reflect public infrastructure costs so that infrastructure does not lag development, that being a major local government challenge. Lobby state government to amend section 209 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment Regulation 2021, to allow Local Government to apply a 3% development levy where the Low and Mid-Rise Housing SEPP applies.

• Evaluating the efficiency of service delivery and identify opportunities for cost reduction or outsourcing, for example, review and streamline customer service operations, identifying bottlenecks and outsourcing non-core services or introducing online self-service functions.

• Ensuring fees accurately reflect the cost of providing services and are fair to residents, for example, conduct a review of swimming pool fees and adjust fees to cover costs and perhaps introduce tiered pricing for lower income users or families.

• Explore the potential for introducing new fee-based services or revenue- generating initiatives, for example, implementing paid parking in high demand areas, advertising on Council space.

• Consider changing fee structures to ensure equitable community access to services, for example, tiered pricing for services based on capacity to pay.

1. DP KPIs (Pages 60-61) tend to focus on “developing and delivering x projects”, a measure that is prone to producing project quantities and completion, but not necessarily material impact. In general, I will push for KPIs and reporting that is more connected to material impact and benefit, not merely ticking boxes. This change will drive better value for money for ratepayers, both in terms of revenue and cost saving outcomes.

2. $XM in-kind benefit through Council’s enforcement of existing Positive Covenants along Wamberal Beach, this Covenants requiring private landowners to restore their sand foredunes and indigenous vegetation at their expense.

3. Complete CMP and work to secure $3-7M grant funding for beach nourishment for the primary purpose of public beach amenity restoration. New feasibility, citywide study for sand nourishment.

4. Review developer contributions to infrastructure associated with private residential and commercial land developments, noting the need to cover ongoing depreciation and maintenance without rate revenue. This action may entail advocacy to NSW Government to counter lobbying by developer interests who seek to maintain caps on such contributions that may not be in the public interest.

Q5/ Q5 How would you reduce expenditure

(Using the same operational plan for examples)

1. (DP_037) Assess the public-private distribution of Warnervale Airport costs and benefits, ascertain community priority and the most appropriate ownership andmanagement arrangements. The current Airport MasterPlan is light on financials.

2. (100366) $2M savings over FY25 to 26 through Council’s withdrawal from the Wamberal seawall DAs.

3. (DP-425 and 521) $2-5M annual savings through flood mitigation following the introduction of a dredge to manage the continuous flow of The Entrance channel, plus residents relief on insurance premiums.